The Anglican and Roman Catholic Bishops of Portsmouth have written a joint, open letter to voters ahead of the general election on May 5

Dear voters,

You may feel that the last thing you need right now is more information about how to vote in the forthcoming general election! As the debate gets fiercer and the clamour for votes gets louder, you may prefer not to think about politics at all. But it’s vital that you do. We’d like to give you some independent, non-partisan advice, if we may.

Some may wonder why bishops should get involved in politics at all. It’s actually part of our calling as Christians to help transform the society we live in. One of the best ways to improve people’s lives is by the political process – that’s how prominent Christians helped to abolish slavery and create a free education system in the 19th century. So, for us, part of our spiritual role involves pointing out injustice and demanding action from political leaders.

We won’t be telling you which party to vote for. But we do think it’s important to bear some principles in mind:

1. Do make sure you vote. It’s easy to think that one cross on a ballot paper on May 5 won’t make much difference. But it’s the most effective way you can have your say on a whole range of issues, local, national and international. Read up about each party’s policies, so when candidates knock at your door, you can ask intelligent questions about the things that bother you.

2. It’s easy to choose which party to vote for on the basis on “What’s in it for me?” – how their policies will affect my bank balance, my mortgage or my family. These are important considerations, but please don’t forget the needs of others. What will your candidates be doing to help the homeless, the unstable families, the destitute asylum seekers and others on the margins of our society? What’s their stance on tackling world poverty in this ‘Make Poverty History’ year of unprecedented opportunity to lift developing countries out of economic difficulty? What practical steps will they take to preserve our environment for future generations? What's their stance on pro-life issues and where do they stand on issues to do with the sanctity and dignity of life in all its aspects, from its very beginnings to its natural end? To our minds, it is these – and not our personal wealth – that are the real gospel issues.

3. What can we do to improve the tone of political debate? We’d suggest that you challenge candidates to frame their own policies in a positive way, rather than constantly bad-mouthing their opponents. If you catch a wannabe MP going for the easy option of negative campaigning, why not tell them you won’t vote for them on that basis? Insist they stop misrepresenting their opponents and ask them to tell you simply what they stand for.

4. Don’t stop being involved after May 5. Your new MP has a duty to represent your interests. If you see world poverty as unjust, write to him or her. If litter on the street bothers you, get in touch. There’s no point grumbling about these things to each other – we can only change things in our society if we do the hard work of engaging with the political process.

With our best wishes,

The Rt Rev KENNETH STEVENSON, Anglican Bishop of Portsmouth, and

The Rt Rev CRISPIAN HOLLIS, Roman Catholic Bishop of Portsmouth